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Tuesday, August 23, 2011

After torturing you with 10 Red and White Tribute Quilt posts I won't make you wait any longer, here it is . . .

The idea of this quilt is to make you feel like you're walking into the Infinite Variety Three Centuries of Red and White Quilts Show and all that you see is red and white quilts.

This quilt has no border for one reason, I wanted my mind's eye to continue with each quilt that was on the edge and to the other quilts in the show. Having a border made this project have a stopping point, and it doesn't, not to me, after all, the show wasn't called Infinite for nothing!

I was also a maniac about the layering of each quilt, the center tree quilt is the only piece where you can view the entire quilt, the other quilts show at most two borders, because the quilts "hang" in front of or behind the other quilts.

This is the picture that gave me the idea to create my quilt in this manner.

My first plan, assembling the quilt using graph paper, was a good starting point but when it got down to the final few filler quilts I went with a different approach.

I placed painters tape on the floor the size I was shooting for, I also ran tape down the center and side to side to keep the tree quilt in the middle.

This approach made playing around with the final placement of each piece much easier. I guess easier is a relative term, as I mentioned in my last post, it took me 22 hours to get all the pieces to fit together perfectly .

This shot gives you a better feel for the size. I don't think there is anything I would change. I enjoyed the challenge, the process, and the quilt has the look I was going for.

This is Lifetime Quilt #72, it finished at 67 1/2" x 83" and has approximately 4,054 pieces. (900 less than my personal high of 4950, Oh Christmas Tree has that honor)

If you would like to review my process, start to finish, just select "Red and White Tribute Quilt" in the "Categories" section to the right.

Thanks so much for your support, enthusiasm, and bewilderment as I worked on this project. I loved working on my tribute quilt but sharing it with you was just as much fun and a real motivator to see this project through.

So what's up next? I'm not sure, but it won't be red and I'm NOT designing it!

111 comments:

Oh wow - it is stunning. I loved the pictures from the exhibition and have followed your progress making the tribute. I love how it has turned out. When I started embroidering way back my Mum gave me my great-grand mothers embroidery patterns and they were very similar to your quilt. One color only on white and graphical patterns. Seing your quilt being created was just amazing.

oh my gosh this is amazingI went to the exhibit and you have captured the feel of walking into the room and seeing all those quilts hangingI am so IMPRESSED!!!!!!it is amazing.....thank you for sharing this with us....thanks I will be thinking about all those quilts again today nowI was lucky enough to go into NYC 2 days to see the exhibit, it was incredible just like your quiltkathie

Fantastic! I love how you put it together. I would have never thought about the tape to outline your canvas. I had mentioned that I was having trouble understanding the final product but it all makes sense in the end. The visual you had in your head guided you along the way. Did you applique the pieces together? How did you piece the layers together? Honestly, it is outstanding. Congrats on the finish. It was well worth the wait!!

Wow, such a creative and original quilt! I enjoyed seeing each piece on your blog as you made it but could not visualize how they were all to come together. I love how you used the photo of all the quilits hanging in an overlapping manner as your inspiration. Really special!

Wow, Thelma, this is one amazing quilt! I hope you are as proud of it as you should be. I'm loving the way my (simple!) red & white quilt is coming along. I smile every time I walk into the sewing room as see those colors. Hey, I really like that stand - I need one of those - where exactly is it? Thanks!

Gorgeous!!! Well worth the wait! I have enjoyed seeing the quilt come together and the final result is truly a treasure. I love how you "overlapped" the quilts.Thanks for sharing your progress and the final result.Hugs,Donna

Fantastic!! I just LOVE your red and white tribute quilt! You certainly were very successful in capturing the feel of that amazing show. I love NYC and have visited it half a dozen times now- I live in New Brunswick Canada, which borders Maine. I didn't know about this show until the week it was happening, otherwise I would have done my best to get there- would have loved to see it. I did get to the American Folk Art Museum in June to see the quilt display but it paled in comparison to the Red and White exhibit.. You now have a fabulous reminder of that awesome show. Congrats!!

I always knew this would be amazing and it even beats that. I could just sit here and look at it for hours. It's so beautiful Thelma! I didn't even get to go to the exhibit and yet I can feel how inspiring it was just by your quilt. This one is really special.

When you were doing each small quilt I didn't understand how you had planned to put them all together. I've got to say that shot of the top hanging on the display frame TOTALLY captures the look of the exhibit. Kudos on successfully accomplishing a very complex task and vision!!!

The Folk Art Museum should include this piece in the retrospective catalogue they plan to issue next year.

Just stunning! And it really does capture the feeling of the show. I'm sure many quilters are making red and white quilts this year, but yours is truly unique. And I love reading about the process; your work is inspiring.

Awesome and amazing! Thanks for sharing all of your work and inspiration. Love red and white quilts. . .I have made only one, but I still walk into the room where is rests on our guest bed just to feast my eyes on it!

Love your quilt Thelmaa. It's not always possible to have a quilt capture thoughts and impressions, much less memories of a significant time, but this quilt sure recreates a personal version of the NY quilt show. Good job. I have enjoyed your journey.Stephani in TX (Tomazec@aol.com)

Fabulous. After seeing the quilt from a distance I was totally blown away with how you were able to achieve your goals with this piece. It's all that and then some. Looking at this put me right back in NYC, staring in awe. LOVE IT!

Wow, Thelma! This is such an amazing quilt. It really looks like the show, with all the quilts hanging in front or behind each other. you should send a picture to the woman who's collection this was. What an amazing tribute!

Okay, now I get it! I have been wondering for awhile what was up with your many red & white quilts. I guess I was thinking they were all full sized & that you were kind of crazy. The finished product is amazing!!!!

I have not been following the creation of your quilt. I am going to go back and read your posts. You have taken traditional designs and turned them into art. You have created the very essence of the red & white quilts show in one piece. Bravo!

Standing ovation to you, Thelma!!! This quilt deserves to be put in a major, major, major quilt show somewhere so it can get all the awards and accolades it deserves. I'm humbled to even be considered a quilter when I see work as exemplary as yours. Bravo!!!

This quilt is amazing! 22 hours to lay it out? You are one patient woman. This has got to be one of the most beautiful quilts and ideas I've ever seen. So unique. A quilt no one will ever have a duplicate of. Thank you for sharing in the process. This is amazing to see!

I was pointed to your post by Nicole at Sister's Choice and I am so glad she did. Congratulations on so successfully rendering the Infinite Variety show as a quilt. I cannot believe how well you achieved that goal and I absolutely L-O-V-E the quilt!

I don't think there are words good enough for this quilt! It took my breath away! I think this one will go down in history, and it should travel from show to show so everyone can enjoy it. Congratulations on a job well done. Amazing design!

Thelma! I bow to you and your Summer creations! I love the inginuity and your creative process. I love all of your red and white masterpieces! I am so impressed and inspired. I don't know if anybody really knows how hard it it to work with just 2 colors. It is a challenge in itself! Excellence! Your rock!!!p.s. welcome back from your wonderful trip! I guess I'm too late to go "housesit" for you!LOL

Oh my gosh, this is an amazing quilt. And such a wonderful way to remember the exhibit. Thank you for talking us through the process too, its always nice to understand how the design process works for different people.

WOW! and WOW! again!! I've always been impressed with your creative blog and I've watched your progress on this quilt- it is breathtaking. Thank you so much for sharing the journey. Your quilt is just wonderful.

Absolutely stunning! Have you thought of doing a book on just this quilt? I would be first in line just to have it to look at and perhaps one day.....Bunny Tales was right! You just have to see this quilt!